Protector for keyboard-rails.



No. 638,086. Patented Nov. 28, I899. L. BERNARD. PROTECTOR FOR KEYBOARDRAILS. (Application filed May 6, 1899.) (No Model.)

THE Nonms Pzrzas co, mom um v, WASHINGTON, o, c.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEOPOLD BERNARD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PROTECTOR FOR KEYBOARD-RAlLS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,086, dated November28, 1899.

Application filed May 6, 1899. Serial No. 715,769. (N0 model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEOPOLD BERNARD, of the city of New York, borough ofManhattan, in the county and State of New York, have inventeda new andImproved Protector for Keyboard-Rails, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices intended for protecting the keyboards ofpianos and similar instruments; and it consists of asheet of material,preferably of some flexible fabric, which is provided with hooks or armsadapted to extend over the upper edge of the rail and to have their endsinserted between the rail and the end of the keys.

My invention comprises novel features of construction, which will behereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front view of a piano, showing my device in place. Fig. 2is asection through the keyboard-rail and a portion of the keyboard,showing my device in place. Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views showingdifferent forms of hooks which may be used with my device, and Fig. 5 isan elevation of a portion of the inner side of my device.

In such instruments as pianos it is common to find the keyboard railscratched and marred by rings upon the hands of players or in otherways, so that it presents a very bad appearance. The object of my deviceis to protect the keyboard-rail, so that it will not be marredin thismanner, and to provide a device for this purpose which shall be pleasingin appearance, which will cost but little, and which may be readilyremoved, if desired, and which may be applied to instruments Withoutaltering them in the least.

' With this end in view I use a sheet of material A, which is preferablymade of some flexible fabric and which may be made as elaborate or asornamental as desired. This sheet of material is of sufficient width andlength to cover the keyboard-rail and is provided with hooks or arms 0,secured to the upper edge of the sheet A and of such size and shape asto fit snugly over the upper edge of the rail, the projecting end 0fitting between the inner edge of the rail and the outer end of thekeys. These hooks may be secured to the sheet A in any convenientmanner. I have herein shown them as secured to the sheet by having oneend thereof inserted into a pocket E, which is formed by stitching asmall piece of fabric to the inner side of the sheet A. They may besecurely held in place within this pocket by means of a rivet or in anyother usual manner, or may be left without any additional securingmeans, so that they may be removed, if desired.

In Fig. 4 ahook O is shown,which is without the downward extension 0',such as shown in Fig. 3. These hooks would be used for the extreme endsof the cover or where it extends beyond the ends of the keyboard. Thesehooks may be made of very thin material, so that there will besufficient room for theirinsertion between the inner face of the rail Band the outer end of the keys D. If desired, the entire device may bemade of metal or of some comparatively rigid material; but it ispreferred that it be made of cloth, leather, or similar flexiblematerial. If made of metal or any stiff material, the hook ends 0 may beformed as a part of the protector or shield itself.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A protector or shield for the keyboardrail of apiano or similar instruments, comprising a sheet of material adapted tocover the front of the rail, and having arms adapted to extend over theupper edge of the rail to hold it in place, the ends of said armsentering between the rail and the keys, substantially as described.

2. A protector for the keyboard-rails of pianos and similar instruments,comprising a fabric sheet adapted to cover the rail, and having hookssecured thereto and adapted to pass between the rail and the ends of thekeys, substantially as described.

3. A protector for the keyboard-rails of pianos and similar instruments,comprising a fabric sheet adapted to cover the rail, and having pocketsin its upper edge, and hooks adapted to lie in said pockets and toextend over the top edge of the rail with their ends between the railand the keys, substantially as described.

LEOPOLD BERNARD.

\Vitnesses:

1-1. L. REYNOLDS, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL.

